This invention relates to an electronic apparatus, particularly, to improvement of an electronic apparatus which is configured so that a flat vibrating body (e.g. a touch panel) is vibrated by a vibrating element(s).
A touch panel is well known as an input device for an electronic apparatus, A type of the touch panel provides a vibrating function to give operation feeling to an operator.
The touch panel having the vibrating function vibrates when its surface is pressed with a finger of the operator, a stylus held by the operator, or the like. The vibration of the touch panel is transmitted to the operator through his/her finger or the like. Thus, the operator perceives whether input operation executed by the operator is accepted by the electronic apparatus or not.
A conventional electronic apparatus having the touch panel with the vibration function has four bimorph type piezoelectric actuators, as the vibrating element, disposed at vicinities of four corners on a front surface of a quadrangular supporting frame. Specifically, the actuators have a rectangular plate shape and are fixed at vicinities of both ends of longitudinal frame portions of the supporting frame. The touch panel is disposed at the front side of the supporting frame to leave a space between them and to be vibrated by the actuators. To set the distance between the supporting frame and the touch panel, touch panel supporting members are disposed between them at the four corners.
Thus, the touch panel is supported at the four corners against the supporting frame in the conventional electronic apparatus. Furthermore, the touch panel supporting members are relatively soft to allow the touch panel to reciprocate. Accordingly, the conventional electronic apparatus has a problem that there is apprehension of lack of attaching strength between the touch panel and the supporting frame. When the attaching strength is insufficient, the touch panel comes off the electronic apparatus because of vibration from inside and/or outside of the electronic apparatus or a shock from the outside of the electronic apparatus.
Such an electronic apparatus is disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 2004-94389.
Another electronic apparatus has a dust seal and a holding frame which stably support all edges of a touch panel. With this structure, the touch panel does not come off the electronic apparatus. However, the electronic apparatus has a problem that it is very difficult to ensure compatibility between starting vibration of the touch panel and avoiding damping the vibration of the touch panel. That is, the structure that all edges of the touch panel are strongly supported brings a result that the touch panel vibrates hardly or that the vibration of the touch panel is damped or absorbed significantly.
Such an electronic apparatus is also disclosed in the above mentioned Publication.